A pub landlord has been hit with a hefty fine after the venue hosted a celebratory disco for its winning football teams.

Darren Luxton, the designated premises supervisor of the Windmill public house in Leigham, was ordered to pay £975 by magistrates after he pleaded guilty to carrying out a licensable activity without holding the correct licence.

Magistrates heard how on evening of June 2 last year, neighbours called Plymouth City Council's environmental health officers complaining they were being disturbed by the music from the pub in Thurlestone Walk.

Read More

The court was told the officers visited the car park of the pub in the early hours of June 3 and heard music from the Windmill pub 21 metres away. Under the conditions of the licence, recorded music can only be played at a background level after 11pm.

The council officers had already sent three warning letters to the business advising of noise complaints and alleged breaches of their licence by playing music beyond the licenced hours in the previous 12 months.

The Windmill pub in Leigham (Image: Lucy Davies)

Mr Luxton was fined £450 – reduced from £675 for his early guilty plea – and ordered to pay £480 towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £45.

In mitigation, Mr Luxton told magistrates he had run the pub for 15 years and this was the first time before the court in relation to the pub.

He added it was a community pub and had many teams which raised money for charities. He said that had a nieghbour got in touch, the problem could have been nipped in the bud straight away.

Councillor Riley, cabinet member for licensing said: “This pub is surrounded by homes.

“It is important that the business runs without causing nuisance. We want to support our businesses but we take firm action against those who do not abide by their licence.”

Speaking from his pub, Mr Luxton told The Herald the whole court case could have been avoided if aggrieved residents had “just contacted me that evening”

Read More

He said: “Our football teams had just won the premier league and it was a football party. We had two football teams and all their partners.

“It could all have been avoided if the person had just rung me and I would’ve sorted it there and then.

“The pub has been here for about 45 years and was built the same time as the houses around it.

“It’s a proper family community pub. We’ve got two football teams, seven darts teams, Euchra teams.

“I’ve got neighbours who I look out for and I hand out my mobile to any neighbour who wants it because I would rather sort the problem there and then rather than go through this court process.

“We respect our neighbours and I have signs up everywhere asking people to keep quiet when they’re leaving the place at night, but you can’t control them all the time and to be honest, if you buy a place next to a pub you can’t expect it to be silent.

“These incidents could’ve been nipped in the bud straight away.

“I would urge any neighbour who is being affected to give me a ring and we’ll deal with it straight away.

“It’s a struggling trade as it is. I’ve got staff and wages to pay and it’s quite frustrating to fork out an extra £1,000. The magistrates were fair and I accepted I went over the time. It was so busy that night with all the celebrations I didn’t even look at the clock and by the time I did it’d gone past 11pm.”